Covered with love
What started as a small idea ended in a massive project for the Matamata Patchwork and Quilters group.
Each year, New World Matamata sells bandannas to raise funds for CanTeen and at the end of the campaign there are always some leftover.
Following a suggestion from an employee, this year owner Ewan Atherton decided to donate some bandannas to the local quilting group.
“They were just sitting in boxes and we thought ‘ how can we make something of these that’s cool?’,” said Mr Atherton.
Quilter Shirley Frew was more than happy to help but didn’t quite know what she was letting herself in for.
“We were expecting maybe one or two boxes but we ended up getting five,” she said.
Twenty members of Matamata Patchwork and Quilters took part, making 41 quilts from about 500 bandannas.
“It was a massive project for us but a happy one,” said Mrs Frew.
Most of the quilts were gifted to residents at Pohlen Hospital, while the rest would be donated back to CanTeen.
Two special Dan Carter quilts and a Maria Tutaia quilt were made and would be signed and auctioned off to raise money for both Pohlen and CanTeen.
The quilters would like to thank Mr Atherton for providing the bandannas, as well as the Matamata Kiwanis Club for their donation, which was used to purchase backing fabric.